Lahaina, Hawaii: Paula Ventura, 76, stands in her yard which was burned by wildfire. Ventura's home is still standing, but many of her neighbors lost their homes. © Sandy Hooper / USA TODAY NETWORK
Hawaii, Lahaina, fire
(Maui, HI) – As the death toll continues to rise in Hawaii, Maui’s emergency management chief has resigned. Citing health reasons, Herman Andaya stepped down on Thursday, after he’d defended the decision not to use the island’s siren system. Some have argued the sirens could have saved more lives, but emergency management officials argue they could have been confusing and sent people running towards the flames. Most often, the sirens are reportedly used to alert people about brushfires.
Hawaii has the world’s largest siren system, which was installed after 150 people died in a tsunami in 1946.
Meanwhile, search and rescue teams continue to use cadaver dogs to search for human remains while combing through the burned-out ruins of Lahaina. So far, at least 111 people are dead. But more than a thousand people are missing. Speaking to CBS News, Hawaii Governor Josh Green says “our hearts will break beyond repair,” if the death toll soars to an almost unimaginable 13,000 — which roughly accounts for the total missing. It’s already the deadliest wildfire in modern US history.
